How To Hover RC Helicopter – What Is A Good Hover?

How to hover an RC helicopter is one of the first things to aim for when you start to learn how to fly an RC heli.

But what is considered a good hover to achieve?

For myself (I fly an Esky Belt CP V2) I look for the following elements when I learn to hover:

1. I try to keep the heli stable enough that there is no near-loss of control for the duration of the exercise.

2. I also try to keep the heli within a defined area, as small as possible, say an imaginary box of 6 feet (in all dimensions) in front of me.

3. From take off to landing the hover should last comfortably for a full battery of about 8 minutes.

4. The heli should stay at a reasonably constant hight (eg eye level) as much as possible, preferably no sudden drops or jumps!

5. Hold the tail in the intended orientation (say tail-in for the full battery; later combining tail-in with left 60deg and hold, then with right 60deg and hold, then back to tail in and hold).

6. Lastly I would say a good hover should also include a controlled take off and landing!

Some people are happy with their hover if they can take the helicopter home in one piece! For myself I also try to aim for a safe hover (no near-loss of control or near-crashes), rather than just avoiding a crash!

In the video below – containing a few short hovers – you should find elements of good hovering and some less stable moments: staying within the “box”, some stable hight moments, some left-side-in hovering etc. The take offs and landings are fairly controlled.